The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-03
FAR BEYOND THE SPAN.
brooklyn Hebrew Who Reached
100 Years

From the Ne,o York Herald.
There seems to be no doubt that man
who died in Brooklyn on Wednesday was
really 1o9 years old So far as possible, the
records of his birth have been verified
This remarkable person was Mr.. Hirsch
Norris. He was known as Rabbi Harris in
tbe neirhborhood of his home, but he never
was rabbi, although devout Hebrew
He died at his home, No. 252 Adams
s+reet Brooklyn, and around his bedside
food his venerable wife, Rachel, who had
inst passed her Goth year; his son, Louis,
yIvbo Is So, and half a score of grandchildren
and great-grandchildren The funeral SER
ices were held yesterday afternoon, and
the body of the aged Hebrew was laid at
rest in plot at Washington cemetery.
years ago, when his great age commenced
fell on his physical and nervous forces.
Even since then he had been a wonderful
a,acimen of vitality. His form was nearly
5pnt double from his extreme old age, but
he could walk, and his venerable figure,
With his long white beard, was still famil-
;a,, one in the neighborhood where he had
lived many years. His mental faculties
we're uninpaired until two OF three years
ago.
DIED OF OLD AGE.
His physician, DR.. G. G. Henry. who had
attended Mr. Harris for the past year, says
That death was caused from senility pure and
sinnle II never saw such q man." he
said "he did not die from disease, but from
General decay of the vital forces. He was
tough as pine knot"
Hirsch Harris, OF Rabbi Hirsch, as he
was Familiarity known. was born in IT'S, at
pvatorkowi, a small village of Russian
Poland, near Warsaw. He came of a long
lived and prolific stock. He was one of
twonty-one children and the youngest of
sixteen brothers, Early in life he was en-
uloved in agricultural pursuits, and i'll 1906,
at the age of twenty-Seven years, he was
married.
In 1912, when Napoleon passed through
Poland on his historic marcht to Moscow, Mr.
Harris and several of his brothers We're
forced to join the Emperor's forces AT
that time he was 81 years old, and Napo-
leon had a way Of impressing into. his ser
vice all able-bodied men living in the terri
tories through which he marched.
HIS ESCAPE FROM NAPOLEON.
Mr. Harris was on his way home one
evening, riding on horseback, with a spade
on his shoulder, when several French sol
diers rode up and seized him After short
time at soldering he made his escape, and,
summoning his wife and child from their
cottage, hid them in a neighboring piece Of
woods While thus secreted he had the
pleasure of seeing the Emperor and his
army pass. He always said that he remem-
bered Napoleon's features well.
He wandered around the country after
bis escape from the army, and in 1915, when
peace was declared, he went into the bust
ncss of manufacturing the liquor known as
kummcl.
He anIassed a considerable fortune from
luSiOaSc and Tatira6 cpypIol wears before
ne left his native country.
He arrived i'll America in 1850, being at
that time an old man Of u, according to the
ordinary acceptation of the term. But Mr.
Harris was still hale and hearty and i'll fit
ted for an idle life. He soon commenced
business again, and continued it up to about
four years ago, when he became too feeble
10 attend to his affairs. He had resided i'll
Brooklyn for the last twenty years,
and always said that it was the prettiest
place he had ever been in.
He was man of considerable learning,
an orthodox Hebrew, and was very strict
in his religious observances. 1t was from
this fact that he was called ''the rabbi, y
although he never officiated in that ca
pacity.
Rabbi Hirsch had twenty-three great
grandchildren living.
A picture of Rabbi Hirsch, taken in 1855,
hAVil uc was 90 JttlIS Olll, SuONS Ulle OlNi
gentleman to look extremely well and
hearty In his hand is a cane, which at
that time belonged to his great grandfather,
who died at the age of l II years. The cane
is still in the family, and viii be kept as an
heirloom.
NOT A TEETOTALER.
The rabbi used snuff all his life and was
quite a smoker. He also used stimulantS,
but never to excess. He took a drink of
bltters before breakfast every day.
His son Louis said that his father while
carrying pail of water up the stoop three
years ago fell and hurt his head, and he
never fully recovered from this accident.
Mrs. Harris, the widow OF the rabbi, who
1879 years old, has all her senses, and is
quite spry for lady of that age. She does
all her own errands, goes to the store for all
her groceries and helps to clean the house.
Mr.. Louis Harris, who was quite in
terested in his fathers history, verified his
fathers age by corresponding with friends
and officials in Europe. The archives of the
village of Pyatorkowi were searched a few